Alumni success: A passion for music and a head for business

Musician Greg Hepworth from Bournemouth was already making a name for himself in the electronic, dance and drum and bass genres before he enrolled at Southampton Solent. So why did he want to go to university?

“Being a mature student and studying alongside teenagers was a bit of a challenge, but I wanted a degree to prove I knew what I was doing and to give me more options in later life,” he says. “You could call it a bit of a safety net, but I knew the qualification would give me the option to become a teacher later on, if I wanted to go down that route.”

Greg’s career in the band Ulterior Motive continues to go from strength to strength. He played on the Shangri-Heaven stage at Glastonbury in 2015 with fellow musician James Davidson, ‘interpreting aural heaven’ alongside cutting edge bands and household names such as Rob da Bank.

The three year course in popular music production covered both creative and business aspects of popular music. Despite being diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age, Greg didn’t allow it to become a barrier to his education. “Although I’d dabbled in music since I was about 13, I learned a lot about how the music industry works and it changed my outlook on it.

“Of course, the technical side of the degree wasn’t a problem for me but essays were quite tough. I took lots of time over my written work to make sure everything was correct and it paid off.”

Looking back, Greg says his three years at university made a real difference. He quit his job to concentrate on his studies and took them seriously, putting in the hours required to succeed. “I got a great deal out of it. It was an opportunity to reflect and to understand myself more and that’s valuable in any career. I developed my critical thinking skills and I now know how to research material. I’ve developed skills that I can certainly use in the future.”

Now, Greg plans to use his new knowledge, skills and contacts to further his career: “I’m aiming to get signed to a bigger record label and work with singers like Lily Allen and Olly Murs.”

To find out more about Greg and his music, follow Ulterior Motive on Twitter at @Ulterior_Motive or like them on Facebook at /ulteriormotiveuk. For bookings, please contact ESP International Ltd on +44 (0)2087 400 533.